Strand dereeling device



May 18, 1954 D. H. BLAIR STRAND DEREELING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 2, 1949 INVEA/i'O/f 0. H BAA/R May 18, 1954 D. H. BLAIR STRANDDEREELING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2. 1949 I v m M TM m m8 W ZA 0 a Patented May 18, 1954 2,678,782 STRAND DEREELING- DEVICE David H.Blair, Chicag Electric Company,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to dereeling devices and more particularly todevices for supporting reels of strand material and guiding the strandas it is unwound from the reels for use in coil winding machines or thelike.

In multiple coil winding machines, where the space factor is importantand it is desirable to have a compact machine, it is essential that thedevice for supporting the reels and guiding the strands as they arebeing unreeled should be designed so that the reels may be grouped in asmall area and that the device does not require much space endwise oraxially of the reels. It is also essential that full reels may bereadily and easiiy inserted in the device and empty reels removedtherefrom and that the wire may be withdrawn or unwound from the reelsat a high rate of speed and be free from kinks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved devicefor supporting reels and for guiding strand unwound therefrom.

In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of reels arenon-rotatably supported in a row about predetermined axes on asupporting plate. A strand from each reel passes through a guide eyeconcentric with the axis thereof and spaced from the reel, and loops ofthe strand being unwound from the reel are prevented from passingtransversely across the axis and forming kinks in the strand by a rodextending from the base along the axis of the reel with one end thereofprojecting partly into the guide eye. A cylindrical tubular guardsurrounding each reel limits the radially outward whipping movement ofthe unwinding strand and a guide plate having a circular aperture foreach reel concentric with the o, 111., assignor to Western Incorporated,New York, N, Y., a corporation of New York Application December 2, 1949,Serial No. 130,811

axis thereof and positioned between the guide eye and the end of thereel further restricts the radial outward movement of the strand as itis being unwound from the reel and approaches the guide eye.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent byreference to the following description thereof when considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferredembodiment thereof in which Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic verticalsectional elevational view of a coil winding machine showing thedereeling devices in position thereon;

Fig. 2 is a top plan or face view of the dereelin devices shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of one of the dereeling devices shownin Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged axial cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4of Fig. 1; and

Fig." 5 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view of a, portion ofthe strand guide.

Referring to the drawings, the dereeling device It is shown as appliedto a multiple coil winding machine l2 having a rotatable mandrel IS, onwhich alternate layers of wire l8 and strips of paper or otherinsulation 21} are wound to form the coils. The strips of paper aresevered from a supply and fed onto the mandrel IS in timed relation withthe rotation of the mandrel and the strands of wire it from the supplyreels pass downwardly from the dereeling device through individualstrand tensioning and guiding devices 22 to the mandrel it. Each strandtensioning and guiding device 22 comprises an upper guide- 24, atensioning device 25 and a lower wire guide 28 mounted on a plate 39 andall of the guiding devices are mounted on a distributing bar 32reciprocable axially of the mandrel 16 for distributing the wiresthereon during the coil winding operation.

The dereeling device 10 comprises an elongated relatively narrow base orsupporting plate 35 having an arm 36 thereon forming a rectangular slotfor the reception of a supporting bar 31, to which the plate 35 issecured. The supporting bar 31 is mounted on the winding machine and maybe angularly adjusted to support the dereeling device in any angularposition from horizontal to vertical, preferably in an inclinedposition, as indicated in Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, the base plate 35is adapted to support three reels or spools 39 in a row thereon and isprovided with a fiat upper surface 40 engageable with one end or head Mof each of the reels 39. Three cylindrical tubular positioning members42-42, having one end thereof pressed into blind cylindrical recesses43- 43 in the base plate 35, serve to telescopingly receive thereon thereels 39 having the smallest bores for positioning the reels on the base35 in coaxial relationship with the axes i t-44 of the tubularpositioning members 42. To accommodate reels having larger bores,cylindrical bushings 45-45 are provided each having a central apertureadapted to fit over the positioning member 42 and having outsidecylindrical surfaces for telescopingly engaging the bores of the reelsfor positioning the reels coaxially with the axes id-44.

During the unwinding of the strand fromthe reels, each of the reels isstationary and the strand therefrom is unreeled by being withdrawn in anaxial direction through a guide aperture or eye 46 formed in a guidemember 41 and located concentric with the axis 44 and in spaced relationrecesses 55 concentric with the axes 44 and sub--- stantially smallerthan the diameter of the reel to limit the radial outward movement of rthe strand being unwound as it approaches the guide eye 46. Hollowcylindrical or tubular guards 51,

mounted in coaxial relation to the axes and.

in radially spaced relation to the reels 39, limit the radial outwardmovement or whipping action of the strand as it is withdrawn from thereel. The guards 57 are supported in spaced relation to the base plate35 by supporting strips 58 and the supporting brackets i and, at theirupper ends, engage the movable guide plate 48 to support it in itsnormal operative position.

From the description thus far, it will be seen that each reel isnon-rotatably supported on the base plate 35 along a predetermined axisand that the coaxially disposed guide eye 46 is spaced from the end ofthe reel a distance slightly more than the length of the reel and thatthe radial outward movement or whipping action of the strand, as it israpidly withdrawn from the reel, is limited by the guard 51 and furtherlimited by the guide aperture 55 as it approaches the eye 46; The wire,as each loop of it is unwound from the end of the reel by an axialmovement thereof is under a torsional stress caused by this manner ofunwinding the wire, which stress tends to reform loops in the wire afterit leaves the reel and before it reaches the eye 46. a tendency to formclosed loops in the strand as it advanced toward the eye 49, which. tendto twist or move laterally across the axis into various positions and tobe drawn into smaller and smaller loops, which frequently iorm kinks inthe wire as they pass through the guide eye 46.

In order to prevent the lateral movement of the loop past the axis ofthe reel andthus prevent the formation of kinks in the wire, a guideelementfifl is provided. In the embodiment shown herein, the guideelement 60 for each reel comprises a rod disposed coaxially with theaxis and having one end portion thereof slidably mounted within thetubular member 42 and in engagement with the bottom of the recess 43.The upper-end 62 of the rod 60 is somewhat rounded and pointed andextends partly into the eye 46 in the bracket 41 (Fig. 5) providingbetween the rod 60 and the bracket 41 and annular space or wire passagewhich permits a single wire strand to pass freely into and through theeye. Thus, each of the rods 68 prevents the open loops of strand formedfrom successive convolutions of strand being unwound from the reel andunder torsional stress from moving across the axis 44 andforming closedloops and kinks in thestrand before it reaches the eye 46, at which timethe loops which were formed in the strand are .uncoiled and the strandpasses through the eye minus any kinks. In this way, each convolution ofstrand, as it is unwound from the reel, advances upwardly in a helicaland spiral fashion about the rod 69 and is guidedinto and through theeye 46 free from any entanglement andkinkst The guide members 41 (Figs.1 and 5) are pro- Thus there is vided with pads 68 of friction material,such as leather, over which the moving strands pass as they are beingwithdrawn, and friction shoes 69. pivotally supported on the guidemembers 41 by hinge members 70 and stressed toward the strips 68 bygravity, engage the strands and apply a light tension thereto. Theseveral strands, as they pass through the several eyes 45, are guidedtoward one end of the device and pass through a plurality of spacedguide apertures or eyes 64 formed in the strand guide 65 in the form ofa plate adjustably secured on a supporting bracket 65, which, in turn,is secured to the guide plate 48.

A plurality of the units of dereeling devices I0 may be assembled toform a large battery thereof with adjacent units nested together instaggered relation, as indicated in full and dotted lines in Fig. 2.With units of the dereeling device IU positioned side by side, the guideplates 58 and the guide members 41 carried thereby may be readily movedfrom their normal operative position, as indicated in full lines in Fig.3, to an inoperative position to one side of the guards 51, as indicatedin part in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to permit the insertion and removalof reels.

It is to be understod that the above-described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the application of the principles of the invention.Numerous other-arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled inthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fallwithin the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A dereeling device comprising a base plate having means thereon fornon-rotatably supporting a reel of wire thereon along a predeterminedaxis, a first'guide plate having an eye concentric with said axis and inspaced relation to a reel on said base plate for guiding the wire beingunwound from said reel, a member mounted on said base and extendingalong said axis beyond said reel into close proximity to said eye andcooperating therewith to form an annular passage for guiding the wirearound said member and into said eye, a cylindrical tubular guard, meanson said base supporting said guard in concentric relation to said axisand in radially spaced relationto a reel on said base plate for limitingthe outward movement of the wire as it is unwound from said reel, asecond guide plate having a circular aperture forming an annular guidesurface encircling said member and concentric with said axis anddisposed intermediate said first guide'plate and a reel mounted on saidbase .plate, said annular guide surface having adiameter greater thanthat of said member and less than the internal diameter of said tubularguard to restrict the radial outward movement of the wire being unwoundfrom said reel, means mounted on said base plate for pivotallysupportingsaid first guide plate and said second guide plate formovement from a normal operative position in concentric relation withsaid axis to an inoperative position removed from said axis to permitthe insertion and removal of a reel on said base plate.

2. An unreeling device for reels of wire strand comprising a base plateengageable with one end of a reel of strand for non-rotatably supportingsaid reel thereon, an annular member on said base plate engageable inthe bore of said reel for guiding saidreelonto said base along apredetermined axis and for preventing radial movement of said reel onsaid base, a rod mounted on said base along said axis and extendingaxially a predetermined distance from a reel mounted on said base, aguide member having an eye concentric with said axis and in closeproximity to the end of said rod and cooperating therewith to form anannular guideway for guiding the strand being unwound from a reel onsaid base plate, a cylindrical tubular guard, means on said basemounting said cylindrical guard plate in concentric relation to saidaxis and in radially spaced relation to a reel on said base plate forlimiting the radial outward movement of said strand as it is unwoundfrom said reel, said guard extending axially a predetermined distancebeyond the end of a reel mounted on said base plate, a guide plateextending across and beyond said guard at one end thereof and disposedaxially between said guide member and the end oi a reel mounted on saidbase plate, said guide plate having a circular aperture thereinconcentric with said axis and of a diameter less than the internaldiameter of said tubular guard to restrict the outward movement of thestrand as it is being unwound from said reel, means mounting said guidemember on said guide plate, means mounting said guide plate for pivotalmovement from a normal operating position with the aperture thereinconcentric with said axis to an inoperative position to one side of saidguard member to permit the insertion reels, and a freely movablefriction member pivotally supported on said guide member and stressedinto engagement therewith for yieldably engaging said strand movingbetween said friction member and said guide member and for guiding saidstrand for movement in a direction transversely of said predeterminedaxis.

3. An unreeling device for reels of wire strand comprising a base plateengageable with one end of a reel of strand for non-rotatably supportingsaid reel thereon, means including a cylindrical member on said baseplate engageable in the bore of said reel for guiding said reel ontosaid base along a predetermined axis and extending along said axis apredetermined distance from a reel on said base, a guide member havingan eye concentric with said axis and in close proximity to the end ofsaid cylindrical member and cooperating therewith to form an annularguideway for the strand being unwound from a reel on said base plate, acylindrical tubular guard, means on said base plate supporting saidguard in concentric relation to said axis in radially spaced relation toa reel on said base plate for limiting the radial outward movement ofsaid strand as it is unwound from said reel, said guard extendingaxially a predetermined distance beyond the end of a reel on said baseplate, a guide plate extending across said guard and removal of y at oneend thereof and disposed axially between t said guide member and baseplate, said guide plate having a circular the end of a reel on said uaperture therein concentric with said axis and of a diameter less thanthe internal diameter of said tubular guard to restrict the outwardmovement of the strand as it is being unwound from said reel, and meansmounting said guide plate and said guide member for movement from anormal operating position to an inoperative position to one side of saidguard member to permit the insertion and removal of reels.

4. An unreeling device comprising a base plate engageable with one endof a plurality of reels of wire for nonrotatably supporting said reels,a plurality of rod like elements mounted on said base alongpredetermined axes in spaced parallel relation to each other for guidingsaid reels onto said base and for preventing radial movement of saidreels on said base, a plurality of cylindrical tubular guards, means onsaid base mounting said guards in coaxial relation to the axes of saidelements and in radial spaced relation to the reels on said base forlimiting the radial outward movement of the wire as it is unwound fromsaid reels, said guards extending axially a predetermined distancebeyond the ends of reels mounted on said base, a guide plate extendingacross the ends of said cylindrical guards and having circular aperturestherein concentric with the said axes and of a diameter less than theinternal diameter of said cylindrical guards to restrict the outwardmovement of the wire as it is being unwound from said reel, guide meansmounted on said guide plate in spaced relation to the guide plate andhaving eyes therein concentric with said axes and disposed in closeproximity to the ends of said rod like elements, the ends of saidelements being round and extending partly into said apertures, meansmounting said guide members and said guide means thereon for movementfrom a normal operating position with the apertures and eyes thereinconcentric with said axes to an inoperative position on one side of saidguard members to permit the insertion and removal of said reels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 269,046 Gordon Dec. 12, 1882 441,454 Vileyn Nov. 25, 1890771,059 Gessner Sept. 27, 1904 1,048,889 Ryden Dec. 31, 1912 1,077,453Case Nov. 4, 1913 1,168,393 Haas Jan. 18, 1916 1,456,825 Orr May 29,1923 2,170,194 Griggs Aug. 22, 1939 2,200,140 Willeke May '7, 19402,242,053 Chapman May 13, 1941 2,437,630 Williams et a1. Mar. 9, 1948FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 133,163 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1929

